The Artist
by Bronytymes
Summary: Ace Craftson is a struggling artist in a town that doesn't appreciate the arts. But he finds love in a pony that is usually timid and shy, but when it comes to art, she is strong and beautiful. But love doesn't always last.


**Hello mare's and gentlecolts, Bronytymes here with the prequel to Stepping in.**  
**I have gone over a whole lot of idea's and have decided to just roll with the punches and make this a short 12-15k word story. It will involve love and tragedy. WARNING MAY CAUSE IMMENSE CRYING.**

I lay awake in bed. I couldn't sleep. It was a late summer's eve and the sun was setting far off in the distance. You could see beautiful shades of orange and red crashing across the sky with hints of the dark blue night quickly approaching. I couldn't help but feel like something was missing from my life. Something important and meaningful. Being an artist I couldn't afford a very nice home but I had a small cottage on the outskirts of town where I would often paint the scenery of beautiful skies and forest's at all times of day and night.

As I begin to paint the canvas with a steady brush in my mouth a beautiful sight starts to slowly fly by. A beautiful yellow pegasus with pink hair flying slowly and gracefully through the sky enters the scene. As she fly's tword the forest I have enough time to mentally capture the awe inspiring grace in which she flew into the scene. I quickly make the paint that would shade appropriately with the scene and paint quickly while I still had the image in my mind.

After painting her in, I take some time to add the little details in her figure, such as the way her feathers were preened and her lustrous pink mane flowing gently as she soared through the air. After finishing the details I work the scene to make it compliment the way she was flying. Once complete I smiled and took a look at what I had made. It was decent at best but it would sell for a good amount of bits at the market place tomorrow.

Should I give credit to the beautiful mare that inspired such a work? Maybe, or maybe not. She may want a share of the profit or even it thrown away. Hopefully she doesn't show up to the market tomorrow.

The night goes on with out much that seem's of much profit. I paint a night sky with the dark trees of the everfree. It may not sell but I did some good work on it so if it doesn't sell I would keep it with the other paintings I couldn't bare to see thrown away or sold for less.

I awoke early in the morning and set off for the market place. The paintings I made last night were sure to bring in at least enough bits for me to eat for the next two or three weeks so I put on my best smile and set up my stall.

By lunch time not a single soul had stopped by the stand to look at my art. I had begun to lose hope until the yellow mare stopped by the stall.

"Hello..." Said the yellow mare. "Why hello miss..." "Fluttershy..." she says quietly. I could hardly hear her. My mind was racing. Her voice was so gentle and kind. "Well miss fluttershy what can I do for you today." I say while the voice's inside my head went crazy. All at once I could feel the emotions rising and falling inside me. She was beautiful and timid.

"Well, some of my animals knocked over a painting in my room while I was trying to help them with a sprained ankle and I was wondering if you had any I could buy. If thats okay with you that is..." as she spoke she got quieter. She was so cute it made me want to pick her up and hug her.

My heart raced as I pulled out the two paintings I had made the night before. "Um well I have two paintings I did yesterday, This one is of the night sky and the everfree forest." I say while holding up the one without her in it. "Oh no... I don't like the everfree forest it scares me, especially at night." She said while hiding behind her long pink mane. Horse apples. I have to show her the one with her in it. My heart felt like it was about to explode as I pulled up the second one.

"Oh... oh my..." She said while I had nothing to say. "Is that me?" She said while blushing very hard. "Um, yes." I say. "While you were flying yesterday I couldn't help but be inspired by the way you flew with such grace, I couldn't help but put you in the painting." I explain hoping she wouldn't be offended. " Its very... very beautiful." She says while coming out from behind her mane. "How much do you want for it?" She says while gently touching the dry painting of herself in the evening sky."

"I'm not sure 100, 120 bits?" I ask hoping it was low enough for her to actually want it. "Oh no I get pictures developed for more! How is 300 bits sound?" She asks while pulling out her bit bag. "wow, are you sure? I mean thats a lot for a painting. Especially one by an amature like myself." I say while blushing myself. "this is hardly amature work mr?" she says while smiling. Its like art brought her out from her shell. She was more confident and beautiful, while staying ladylike.

"Ace. Ace Craftson." I say while blushing harder. "And if you are sure you want to pay 300 bits for it I cant stop you miss fluttershy." I say while letting go of the painting and letting her take it and put it in her bag. "Here you are mr. ace and I think I may start stopping by here more often, and have my friends come and buy all their paintings from you." she said while placing the bag on the stand. "thank you so much miss fluttershy, and call me ace from now on." I say while smiling like a school boy.

"Then you mush call me Fluttershy from now on ace." She said while giggling and turning to walk away. She physically had a change in the way she walked. Her steps were lighter and she had a small swing in her hips. After she had trotted out of sight I turned around and smiled largely to myself. 'She is so beautiful and she like the painting I made of her! Maybe she will go out on a date with me sometime." I say while hanging up the sign to show that I was closed for lunch.


End file.
